I take it you never looked into security certifications such as CEH, CISSP, GIAC, which all use standards and are very much vendor neutral.

Though i won't judge on your experiences, i will share some of mine. I've known people in all levels of IT, most with certifications, which have blown me away at thei know-ho of their job tasks. I've also known people in IT who may have a certificate but no practical experience, but i ask you this, does a college or university grad have practical experience? most will definitely say no, and what helped them was getting some hands on and doing the certification.